Dad’s Camcorder: Gone But Not Forgotten

Remember a time when dads would follow their kids around with a large camcorder mounted on their shoulders? We’re talking LARGE, like full VHS tape, microwave oven large.

Those dads suffered with heavy, clunky electronics on their shoulders. They endured through sweat, tears, and shoulder pain to keep you in the shot and capture those precious moments in low-fidelity. Looking back upon this duty, those dads were soldiers who deserve honorary medals for suffering through special occasions, strapped for VHS war. Luckily, nowadays we can capture our memories without burdening dad with a heavy camcorder.

“Like the bulky camcorders that 90’s dads dutifully lugged, some technology is best left in the past.”

The videos they took offer us a unique glimpse into our memories. We look upon these times with nostalgia for many different reasons; we’ve all got a special love for something goofy from our pasts. Some of us are still in love with vintage fashion. Some of us are in love with old TV shows and trying to convince others that the quality used to be so much better, like those who say “Golden Girls beats any new show on Netflix!”

Almost all of us love music from another time. Little known fact: There’s always a right time and place to jam out to Ace of Base. Our nostalgia knows almost no bounds. Except, maybe for electronics.

Has a family member ever said to you, “Jeez, I really wish they’d bring back small and heavy tube TVs”? Or, “I miss the convenience of recording songs off the radio onto cassette tapes, it was just the best!”. Like the bulky camcorders that 90’s dads dutifully lugged, some technology is best left in the past.

If only SpeechBooth had existed back then! Many shoulders would have been saved, and frustrations avoided. Fun fact: the entire SpeechBooth kit at 10lb. weighs about the same as a consumer-grade camcorder in 1988 and captures memories by itself.

In honor of the forgotten VHS warriors, let us raise our glasses to these brave souls. To those with sore shoulders from oppressive camcorders, you have served us well.